Culinary Arts & Food Service Management

With a modern kitchen and upgraded equipment, VHBG’s John G. Wood (JGW) School offers a 280-hour elective course in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. Nearly all of the students attending JGW High School can participate in the program and will have the opportunity to gain specific job skills and credentials to support their transition from school to a career in the restaurant or hospitality industry.

Course topics will include kitchen safety and sanitation, nutritional principles, food-preparation techniques, and serving in the dining room. Incorporating the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe certification program into the curriculum will provide students with nationally-recognized credentials that are in demand in the restaurant industry. Students may then enhance their qualifications by earning their ServSafe Food Manager credential. Through this track, students will learn about foodborne illness, how to prevent it, and how to train employees in food sanitation. With these credentials, which are valid for three years, the students will be qualified to work in the restaurant industry even while completing the remaining curriculum at JGW. This too contributes to their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and allows them to gain needed experience as they transition to the workforce or pursue additional education.

Programmatically, JGW’s Culinary Arts Training classes will follow the Virginia Department of Education Culinary Competencies for Culinary I and II. Several Culinary Arts I classes will be offered each semester and the maximum class size will be eight students. Culinary Arts II will then be offered to all students who complete the initial session. In aligning our curriculum with the Department of Education’s, students should be able to transition back to their home schools when necessary and continue their training there.

VHBG’s Culinary Arts Training Program qualifies as a “direct service” according to the definition as approved by the Virginia General Assembly. As such, JGW is providing services “to a child with a disability directly by the Virginia Department of Education, by contract, or through other arrangements. (34 CFR 300.175).” In addition to hands-on job training, the School’s qualified staff also provides therapy, rehabilitation activities, and support services such as case management services, care coordination, psychological services, and counseling.